Garbage-cah cover



C. BERNSON.

GARBAGE CAN COVER.

APPLICATION FILED APR. 10, 1919.

1 ,322,400. Patented N W. 18, 1919.

2 SHEETS-SHEET I.

awe/whoa CarZ E 6 21725022 v I I c. BERNSON.

GARBAGE CAN COVER.

APPLICATION FILED APR. 10, 1919.

1,322,409. Patented Nov. 18, 1919.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

awe/who's Gum/W 9 CARL IBEIR'NSON, 0F BROCKTON, MASSAGHUSETTS.

GARBAGE-CAN COVER.

Specification of Letters lPatent.

Patented Nov. 18, 1919.

' Application filed April 10, 1919. Serial No. 289,038,

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, CARL BERNSON, a subject of the King of Sweden, residing at Brockton, in the county of Plymouth and State of Massachusetts, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Garbage-Can Covers; and I do declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

This invention relates to garbage receptacles, and it relates more specifically to an improved odorless garbage can cover.

One object of this invention is to provide a very simple and easily actuated means whereby the lid of a receptacle may be normally held closed and whereby a shutter or movable bottom may be actuated for opening and closing an opening between upper and lower garbage receptacles.

A further object is to provide simple and eflicient means on the lid to permit it to be opened against the resistance of the means which normally holds it closed.

Other objects and advantages may become apparent to persons who read the following details of description in connection with the accompanying drawings, in which Figure 1 is a left side elevation of my improved garbage can.

Fig. 2 is a top plan view, the handle or operating lever being in the position for holding the lid in its closed position.

Fig. 3 is a bottom plan view of the cover detached from the body of the can.

Fig. 4: is a central vertical sectional view along the line 44: of Fig. 1.

Fig. 5 is a left side elevation, partly broken away, the operating member holding the lid in its open position.

Fig. '6 is a top plan view, the lid being omitted, and the shutter being in open position.

In these drawings in which similar reference characters correspond with similar parts vice comprises a lower receptacle 10, a receptacle cover 11, an upper receptacle 12 and the actuating and controlling means which will be hereinafter described in detail. The lower receptacle 10 may be of any ordinary and appropriate construction, and the receptacle cover 11 may be removably secured thereon by any appropriate throughout the several views, the de ably semi-circular and extends from the center of the cover member approximately to its peripheral flange. This opening 1s normally closed by means of a segmental shutter or plate 17 which is disposed within the peripheral flange 15 and is supported by a ring 18. This ring is preferably formed of sheet metal and has an inwardly extending flange 19 upon which the shutter normally rests, and which also forms a track on which the shutter may be caused to rotate in a horizontal plane. The set screws 13 extend through the ring 18 and secure it in rigid relation with the flange 15, and by rotating the shutter upon this track or guide 19, the opening 16 is opened and closed.

The upper receptacle 12 is mounted on the cover member 11, and said shutter constitutes a movable bottom for the upper receptacle, and when the shutter is rotated so as to remove this movable bottom from the upper receptacle, this allows garbage or other material that may be supported on the shutter to descend from the upper receptacle to the lower receptacle, the rear wall 20 of the upper receptacle serving to push such material from the shutter or movable bottom.

A lid 21 is hinged on the upper receptacle at 22, and this lid is provided with an aperture at 23 through which an element 24 of a wire spring extends. This spring also comprises a horizontal portion 25 which is secured to the lid by any appropriate means, and a rearwardly inclined portion 26, and the purpose of this spring is explained hereinafter.

The device whereby the shutter and lid are controlled-comprises a controlling member 27, a spring 28 and the spring elements 24,25 and 26-. The controlling member 27 consists of a length of wire or rod bent to form a crank shaft, the shaft portion 29 of which is disposed vertically at the outer side of the rear wall 20, a bearing ,30 being provided on said rear wall, and

said shaft being rotatable in said hearing. The shaft 29 also extends through a central opening in the cover member 11 and is united with a radial arm 31 which is secured to the shutter 17 by means of a tongue 17 which is bent around this arm. The spring 28 has one end connected to the arm 31 and has its other end connected to the ring 18, and this ring co-acts with the arm 31 to yieldingly hold the shutter in its closed position. A handle or crank 32 extends radially from the upper end of the shaft portion 29 and normally bears against the rearwardly inclined portion 26 of the spring on the lid so as to yieldingly hold the latter closed. However, the lid may be raised either by hand, in the ordinary way, or it may be raised by first drawing the crank 32 forward and then pushing it backward against the vertical portion 24. The pull of the spring 28 on the controlling member 27 is such that tends to hold the crank 32 at a slight angle to. the axis on which the lid swings, as illustrated in Figs. 4 and 5, and the spring 28 has sufficient strength to hold the crank in this position against th comparatively slight tendency of the lid and its spring to pull the crank forward. It will 'be seen, therefore, that the crank 32 not only effects the opening and closing of the shutter, through the medium of the shaft portion 29 and the arm 81, but it also effects the opening of the lid and the holding of the same yieldingly in its closed position.

In operating the device, the operator may raise the lid by hand, and in doing so, the inclined portion 26 of the spring yields and passes under the crank 32. The garbage may now be poured into the upper receptacle while the crank holds the lid open, as indicated in Fig. 5. Next, the crank is, seized by the hand of the operator and pulled forward and downward, thereby permitting the lid to close by gravity, or forcing the lid forward if gravity is insuflicient to overcome the friction of the hinged joint 22. This movement of the crank, and a continued rotary movement thereof in the counter-clockwise direction, causes the spring 28 to pass under the axial'center of the controlling device 27, and having passed such axial center, the spring 28 now continues the rotary movement of the controlling member 27 until its crank 32 again comes into contact with the inclined elements 26 and co-acts therewith to hold the lid closed. In the meantime, during rotation of the controlling member, the shutter has been caused to open and again close the opening 16, and this opening and closing occurs while the lid 21 is closed, so that the odor or gas which escapes from the lower receptacle is reduced to the minimum.

Although I have described this embodiment of my invention very specifically, it is not intended to limit this invention to these exact details of construction and arrangement of parts, but I am entitled to make changes within the scope of the inventive idea disclosed in the foregoing description and following claims.

hat I claim as my invention is 1. In a device of the character described, a lower receptacle, an upper receptacle thereon, a shutter between the upper and lower receptacles, a lid on the upper receptacle, and a controlling device operatable to effect opening and closing movements of the shutter, said controlling device also being effective to control said lid, substantially as set forth.

2. In a device of the character described, a lower receptacle, an upper receptacle thereon, a shutter mounted to rotate between the upper and lower receptacles for closing an opening therebetween, a lid on said upper receptacle, a shaft mounted to rotate and being operatively connected to the shutter for effecting rotary opening movements of the shutter, and a crank arm on said shaft, said crank arm being operatable to effect rotary movements of said shaft and to control said lid.

3. In a device of the character described, a lower receptacle, an upper receptacle thereon, a shutter operatable to open and close an opening between said upper and lower receptacles, a lid on said upper receptacle, and a controlling device normally efi'ective to hold said lid closed and being operatable to permit the opening of the lid and to actuate said shutter.

4. In a device of the character described, areceptacle, a lid hinged thereon, a con trolling device mounted adjacent to said lid, and a spring on said lid, said spring being correlated with said controlling device to normally hold said lid clsoed, an element of said controlling device being movable to a position in which it coacts with said spring to hold the lid open.

5. In a device of the character described, a lower receptacle, an upper receptacle thereon, a shutter mounted for movements to open and close an opening between said upper and lower receptacles, a lid on the upper receptacle, a spring on said lid, and a controlling device mounted to normally coact with said spring for holding said lid closed, said controlling device being also effective to hold said lid open and to actuate said shutter.

. 6. In a device of the character described, a lower receptacle, an upper receptacle thereon, a shutter mounted for movements to open and close an opening between said lower and upper receptacles, a lid on said upper receptacle, a shaft mounted to turn adjacent to said lid and being secured to said shutter and operatable to actuate the latter, a crank on said shaft and being cooperative therewith to actuate said shutter, and a spring normally holding said shutter in its closing position, said spring also coacting with said shaft and crank to hold said lid closed.

7 A receptacle cover comprising a cover member having an opening therein and a downturned peripheral flanger thereon, a segmental plate mounted within the peripheral flange, a ring in and secured to said peripheral flange and forming a circular track on which said segmental plate is turnable to open and close said opening, and a spring correlated with said ring and shutter and being efiective to normally hold the latter closed.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand.

CARL BERNSON. 

